James Shannon (Massachusetts politician)
James Shannon | |
|---|---|
.jpeg) James Michael Shannon, undated picture | |
| President of the International Electrotechnical Commission | |
| In office January 1, 2017 – January 1, 2020 | |
| Preceded by | Junji Nomura |
| Succeeded by | Yinbiao Shu |
| 40th Attorney General of Massachusetts | |
| In office January 3, 1987 – January 3, 1991 | |
| Governor | Michael Dukakis |
| Preceded by | Francis Bellotti |
| Succeeded by | Scott Harshbarger |
| Member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Massachusetts's 5th district | |
| In office January 3, 1979 – January 3, 1985 | |
| Preceded by | Paul Tsongas |
| Succeeded by | Chester G. Atkins |
| Personal details | |
| Born | James Michael Shannon April 4, 1952 Methuen, Massachusetts, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | Johns Hopkins University (BA) George Washington University Law School (JD) |
James Michael Shannon (born April 4, 1952) is an American Democratic politician from Massachusetts. He served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1979 to 1985, and later as the Massachusetts Attorney General.
Biography
[edit]Shannon was born on April 4, 1952, in Methuen, Massachusetts, and grew up in Lawrence.[1] He graduated from Phillips Academy in 1969 and received his B.A. in political science from Johns Hopkins University in 1973.[2][3] He earned a J.D. degree at George Washington University Law School in 1975 and practiced law in Lawrence.[4][5]
In 1970 and 1971 Shannon was an intern in the office of Congressman F. Bradford Morse.[6] From 1973 to 1975 he served on the staff of Congressman Michael J. Harrington.[7] In 1976 he ran for the Massachusetts State Senate, losing the Democratic primary to incumbent William X. Wall by only eight votes.[8][9]
He was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1978, succeeding Paul E. Tsongas, who ran successfully for the United States Senate. Shannon was reelected in 1980 and 1982.
In 1981, he was selected to be one of the first Young Leaders of the French-American Foundation.[10]
When Senator Tsongas announced his retirement in 1984, Shannon entered the race to succeed him. He was defeated in the Democratic primary by Lieutenant Governor John Forbes Kerry, who went on to win the seat. Shannon served out the rest of his term in the House, leaving office in January 1985, at which point he was elected to the Common Cause National Governing Board.
In 1986, he was elected Attorney General of Massachusetts, defeating Edward F. Harrington and serving from 1987 to 1991.[11][12] He was defeated for re-election in 1990 by Scott Harshbarger in the Democratic primary.[13]
In 2000 Shannon led Bill Bradley's presidential campaign in Massachusetts and was a Bradley delegate to Democratic National Convention.[14][15]
He was elected president and Chief Executive Officer of the NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) in 2002, and served until 2014.[16]
He became President of the International Electrotechnical Commission on 1 January 2017 for a three-year term.[17]
References
[edit]- ^ Anna L. Brownson, Charles Bruce Brownson, Congressional Staff Directory, 1982, page 56
- ^ Phillips Academy Andover, Program, Dedication of Peter Drench Park at Isham Field Archived 2016-03-04 at the Wayback Machine, May 24, 2014, page 4
- ^ Johns Hopkins Magazine online, Class Notes, Fall 2013, retrieved August 2, 2014
- ^ American Bankers Association, ABA Banking Journal, Volume 74, 1982, page 70
- ^ Congressional Staff Directory, Advance Locator for Capitol Hill, 1983, page 61
- ^ "Young Lawrence Attorney Seeks to Unseat Sen. Wall". The Lowell Sun. March 9, 1976. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ Stuart E. Weisberg, Barney Frank: The Story of America's Only Left-handed, Gay, Jewish Congressman, 2009, page 171
- ^ "Files for Recount". The Lowell Sun. September 22, 1976. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Legendary Sen. Wall Wins Razor-Thin Victory". The Lowell Sun. September 15, 1976. Retrieved January 4, 2024 – via Newspapers.com.
- ^ "Young Leaders". French-American Foundation. Retrieved October 28, 2015.
- ^ Elsa C. Arnett, Harvard Crimson, Attorney General, November 3, 1986
- ^ United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts, Biography, Edward F. Harrington Archived 2014-08-08 at the Wayback Machine, retrieved August 2, 2014
- ^ Andrea Lamberti, MIT Tech, Silber, Weld Win, September 21, 1990
- ^ Seth Gitell, Going for Broke: Al Gore is Running Out of Money. Be Afraid. Be Very Afraid. Archived 2015-09-22 at the Wayback Machine, December 17–24, 1999
- ^ Elizabeth Mehren, Los Angeles Times, New England's Appeal Not Equal to the Sum of Its Delegates, March 3, 2000
- ^ National Fire Protection Association, The Pro Board Honors NFPA President James M. Shannon With Donation to the Fire Protection Research Foundation, June 19, 2014
- ^ IEC Officers, CH: International Electrotechnical Commission, 2017, archived from the original on January 3, 2020, retrieved November 15, 2017
External links
[edit]- United States Congress. "James Shannon (id: S000286)". Biographical Directory of the United States Congress.
- Appearances on C-SPAN
| International | |
|---|---|
| National | |
| People | |
| Other | |
- 1952 births
- Living people
- Massachusetts lawyers
- Politicians from Lawrence, Massachusetts
- Massachusetts attorneys general
- Phillips Academy alumni
- Johns Hopkins University alumni
- George Washington University Law School alumni
- Democratic Party members of the United States House of Representatives from Massachusetts
- Young Leaders of the French-American Foundation
- 20th-century members of the United States House of Representatives